Fluid-brake for guns.



Patented Oct. 24, I899.

I. KRONE. FLUID BRAKE FOR GUIS. Wm M Pub. 81, use.

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.HflllANNl lS 'KliUN 1, OF ESSEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO Fllllll KRUI'P, OF SAME PLAG I.

FLUlD-BRAKE FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 635,557, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed February 21, 1899- Sarlsl No. 706,319. (No model.)

To all n'lmmit may concern.-

lle it known that l, J OHANNES KRONE, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Essen, Germany, have invented certain new and usein] Improvements in Fluid-l3rakes for Guns,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in fluid-brakes for guns of the class prorided with separate accumulators. In such to apparatus the accumulator is usually connected by pipes with the recoil brake-cylinder or cylinders, said pipes being provided with valves for regulating the running-out movement of the gun'barrel. This arranger 5 went not only requires considerable space,

but, owing to the many connections requiring packing, it cannot very well he kept light. Besides, many i mportaut parts are unprotected, and consequently the apparatus is in danzo ger of being injured by pieces of exploding shells.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these defects and to construct a fluid brake extremely compact, without pipes or 2 5 conduits, with but few parts requiring packing, adapted to be readily taken apart, and secured against pieces of exploding shells.

To this end my invention consists, essentislly, in arranging a separate running-out 3o brake-cylinder in line with and in communication with the liquid-space of the accumulater.

The nature of my invention will best be understood when described in connection with 5 the accompanying drawings, in which A Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of one of the recoil brake-cylinders. Fig. 2 isa horizontal section of the wholefiuidbrake. Fig. 3 is serosssection on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4- illustretes a modification of the running-out brake. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate other modifications.

v biuiilsrlctters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views 5 of the drawings.

Referring now to Figsl to 3 of the drawings, the letter B designates the gun-barrel; D, the two recoil brake-cylinders; E5, the accumulator or running-out cylinder, the recoil brake ning-out broke.

5:) cylinders and the accuui ulster being connected to or forming part of the cradle within which the gun-barrel slides back and forth.

plunger 0, secured to the horn A of the gunbarrel B and of the piston proper, Com- 6o municntion between the two sides of the piston C is established by channels 0' c and by the bore 0 of the dillercntial piston C O.

f is the outer cylinder-dread, which carries the central conical brake-shank F, which latter projects into the bore act the piston O C. All the hollow spaces in the brake-cylinders D and in the brake-pistons C C are filled with a suitable liquid, such as water or oil.

J is a piston within the accumulatobcylin 7o der. The space K to the right of the piston withinsaid accumulator -.cylinder is filled with compressed air, which tends to force the piston toward the head Pof said accumulator. The piston J is connected to or forms part of a cylinder with a. bore 0, opening toward the head P and forming the cylinder of the run- The head P of the accumulater receives the running-cu t brakepiston L. The space N at the right-hand end of the cy- 8o lindrical bore 0 is in communication with the space at the left-hand end through channels 12 12, extending through the brake-piston L. These channels it 'n are closed by means of a.

spring-valve iiLwhich opens toward the space N, but which does not completely close the channels, in view of very small channels e extending through said valve. From the piston J a cylindrical rod '1 projects and passes through the piston L, which said rod is fitted 0' so as to be tight under the pressure of the liquid. This rod simply serves as a means for watching the motion of the running-out pis ton J.

The operation of the apparatus isas follow 5 During the recoil of the gun-barrel in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 the differential hollow pistons C G C C are forced into the cylinders D D and over the conical shanks F F, thereby causing the liquid to pass from too one side of the pistons C, through the ennuler spaces E, between the shanks F end the walls of the bore c, and through the channels 0' to the other side of the pistons C. The liquid being throttles"! in its passage through the narrow annular spaces E, energ is required to force the liquid through such spaces, and ibis energyis supplie by the gnu which loses potential energy,or, other words, is braked. Owing to the conical shape of iliebralre-slieuk l", the resistance to the passage of liquid or the back pressure on the pistons C is grad uelly increased. Since ct the some time the totel volume of the hollow spaces within the breke-cylindeos and the hollow pistons C C is gradually decreesed,iiqnid is forced into the accumulator ii, with the result of producing an inward movement of the running-out pis too 3, and consequently afurtlier compression of the compressed air contained in the gasspace Ii, so that energy is stored up. As the liquid forces the accomuletorpiston J inwardly it enters the bore 0, passes ihrongh the channels 22, opens the valve M, and passes into the space N at the right-hand end of the bore 9. when the recoil is completed by the exhaustion of the potential energy of the gun, partly in frictional work and partly by compressing gas in the accumulator, the compressed gas or air in the space Kof the accumnletor ll forces the accumulator-piston J toward the head 1 of the accumulator-cylinder. The liquid in the accumulator flows back into the cylinders I), forcing the pistons C 0' outwardly-that is, in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, so as to run the gun back into battery. At the instant when the recoil is completed the valve is. closes, so that during the runningont movement the liquid must pass through the nsi-row openings e from the space N to the channels 4'2 and to the recoil-cylinders D. By these narrow openings the flow is throttled and the too-rsid' runnin -out movement checked-mat is, the arrangement acts as it running-est broke. The smell openings 8 may also be omitted, if desired. Fig. 4

shows ibis conetmcfiion, wherein the piston L is looseiy iii-ted to the cylindrical bore 0, or instead of so loosely fitting the piston the bore 0 may be slightly tagered, for instance by making it larger in. d. aetcr at biiian at b". 133 these means in ruoningont-tbet is, when the liquid is forced from the space N to the,

bore 8 of the runn'n -ont cylinder-the liqnid first has a comparatively free passage, while the opening is gradually reduced.

Figs. 5 and 5 show modifications in which the running-oat bl'mkQ-LJZSLOR L is not staofthc running-out brake-piston,substnntially tionary, but is movable within a cylinder 0'. 6 The piston L is rigidly coianecied to the aircornpressor ornccumnlstor-piston J. In the modificetion shown in Fig. 5 the valve M has small channels-e, while in Fig. 6 these channels are omitted and the piston L is loosely 6 fitted within the cylinder 0'. The operation of these modifications is the some as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

The principal parts of the running-out brake in both of the modifications consist of 7 a, cylinder with the bore 0 and a piston L, one of which parts is rigidly connected with the accumulator-cylinder, and thereby to the cradle, while the other part is connected to the-piston of the accumulator-cylinder. 7

What I claim as new ie-- 1. In cliqnid recoil-brake for guns, the comoinetion with one or more recoil brake cylinders D, the accumulator-cylinder II and the accumulator-pierce J, of a sepersto runningout bmkc-cylinderend opiston therein, one of these parts being rigidly connected to the accumulator-cylinder, the other part being connected to the accumulator-piston; a. valve opening under the recoil pressure of the liquid 8 and freely admitting liquid into the space between the closed end of the running-out brakecylinder and its piston; and acontracted o'pem in" or o'er-lin for th "f be l i' o P b: U U 5 i in opposite direction between the two sides of the running-out brake-piston,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. Inaliquid'recoibbmko forguus',tl1ecorn.- bination-witll one or more recoil brake-cylinders D, the accumulator-cylinder H andthe accumulator-piston J, of e separate runningout brake-cylinder with the bore 0 and a piston L therein, said running-out brake-cylinder being rigidly conne'cied or forming part of tlieaccum nlator-piston 5 while the running- I out brake-piston L is rigidly connectedwith the aocum Mater-cylinder head P; a valve M- in said running-out brake-piston L opening .under the recoil pressure of the liquidzind freely admitting liquid into the space between the closed end of the rnnning out brake-cylinder end-its piston; and a contracted opening or openings for the passage of the liquid in the opposite direction between the two sides as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the prescucc of two subscribing witnesses.

JQHANN ES KRONE. Witnesses:

GEO. P. PETTIT, II; DIEDENHOFEN. 

